


Cars have trunks. We can hide things in them. Elephants have trunks. We suspect elephants.

by starcats



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Confessions, Getting Together, Light Angst, M/M, Misunderstandings, lev and yaku are only mentioned, tiny little bokuaka crumbs if you squint, valentines day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:09:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22664545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starcats/pseuds/starcats
Summary: It dawned on him that next friday was valentines day. Kenma didn't really care about it seeing as he wasn't dating anyone and didn't really care about other people's relationships. He usually spent valentines day with Kuroo, but now he recalled how Kuroo told him he had plans for next friday, which meant Kuroo Tetsurou had plans for valentines day.He felt oddly... betrayed. As if there was a ball of... something... blocking off his throat. He was Kuroo's best friend, he would've told him if he had a date, wouldn't he? Kuroo had never mentioned even liking anyone, and he didn't spend any time with anyone besides Kenma and their small friend group.He went as far as considering that maybe Kuroo was secretely dating Bokuto, which in turn made him feel bad for Akaashi as well. He discarded the possibility after trying to clear his head, Bokuto was notoriously unable of keeping secrets.Kenma couldn't process why he suddenly felt so bad about the possibility of his best friend having a partner and couldn't help the twist in his gut when thinking that maybe Kuroo was deliberately hiding it from him.
Relationships: Haiba Lev/Yaku Morisuke, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 337





	Cars have trunks. We can hide things in them. Elephants have trunks. We suspect elephants.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tabfics](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabfics/gifts).



> This is a birthday gift for my friend !!  
> Happy birthday Tab, I poured my all into this, I really hope you like it !!

**Thursday, February 6**

There was a persistent dinging sound inside of his head that just couldn't be shaken off. It enveloped his senses and made his whole body twitch in discomfort. After an agonizing minute of the insistent buzzing, Kenma opened his eyes, groaning as he fished for his phone beneath a mess of pillows, finally turning off the annoying alarm.

The clock read 5:30. Despite being technically awake his body felt like it weighted 300 pounds, and only a glimpse of a text message was taken by his hazy mind before finally giving in and... blinking.

"KENMA"

He jolted. There was a hand on his shoulder and a quick look at his phone revealed that his awfully long "blinking" had taken an entire hour, as it now flashed a bright 6:37.  
"Kenma. Did you spend the night playing videogames again? We're gonna be late to morning practice"

Succesfully picking up his cat, Zelda, from where she had made herself comfortable on his legs, he shook off the hand gripping him with a groan. "Shut up Kuroo my brain hurts."  
"I shouldn't have let you go to gamestop on a weekday." Kuroo feigned annoyance while already digging through Kenma's closet for the other's gym clothes.

They were in fact late for morning practice, walking the freezing streets a good 10 minutes after they were supposed to have started warming up inside the gym, but Kuroo couldn't manage to stay mad at Kenma for sleeping in as he could see the other shivering from the cold right beside him. He would offer him his own jacket, if only he hadn't done just that and Kenma wasn't the one who was still cold regardless.

The pair just so happened to bump into Lev on their way to school, nothing out of the ordinary, except for the fact that it was already well past the start of morning practice. Kenma rolled his eyes as Kuroo scolded Lev for being late and chuckled when the other pointed out they were just as late as himself. He was now slightly less cold with the addition of Lev's jacket on top of Kuroo's and his own.

**Friday, February 7**

"I thought I lost my jacket."

"I was cold and I happened to already be wearing it."

"You could at least tell me you were stealing it, I went to school without a jacket on today because I didn't want to tell my dad I lost mine."

"You're just dumb."

"I'm literally doing your homework right now."

"I caught a skitty."

He laid on his own bed, leaving Kuroo muttering to himself on his desk. It had been a bet. Right after meeting Lev on their way to school the previous morning the two of them had placed a bet on wether Yaku would be conveniently late as well. Kuroo lost, and Kenma was not about to let him get his way out of doing all of his biology homework due on monday.

He looked up from the console on his hands as Kuroo threw himself by his side onto the bed, grabbing his phone and scrolling through his instagram feed. Kenma gave him an annoyed look.

"You follow Oikawa on instagram?"

"I like to see him embarassing himself."

"But he only posts selfies and pictures of food."

"Yesteday he was throwing a fit because someone called him a furry."

"Loser."

Zelda seemed to notice Kuroo's presence and proceeded to leave Kenma's side to rub her head against the other's face. His cat seemed to like Kuroo more than Kenma himself, which granted him with endless teasing, to which he usually responded with teasing Kuroo about his own cat, who didn't like anyone besides Yaku. He resumed his game, ignoring Kuroo's attempt to draw his attention to him petting Zelda.

After some bickering about Kenma's choices of pokemon names, or rather Kuroo getting mad about Kenma's gengar being called "Kuroo", his 3DS was begrudgingly put aside and he found himself leaning against the other's side while a movie played on the laptop on his lap. He could see the other drifting off, and Kenma himself was getting tired.  
"Kuroo let's go to bed."

"Oh so now you care about going to bed early?"

"We can watch the sequel next week, I'm tired."

"I have plans for next week."

Kenma rolled his eyes and forcibly shut off the laptop, putting it on the ground next to his bed and throwing the extra pillow at Kuroo's face. The other simply got up and turned off the lights, climbing onto Kenma's bed and pushing him closer to the wall.

When they were kids sharing a bed had never been a big deal, both were smaller and didn't have a problem with sleeping with their best friend. That habit never seemed to leave as Kenma was already used to being pushed against the wall by Kuroo's body, larger than when he was eight, and waking up in a mess of limbs and pillows with Zelda slotted in between them.

Kenma frowned. Kuroo never had other plans on fridays.

**Sunday, February 9**

As it turns out Kuroo did manage to cheat on their bet agreements, seeing as there was an entire blank page on his biology textbook that Kenma had no energy to fill at all. He thought about calling Kuroo and making him get out of bed and finish it up but upon turning on his phone he was greeted with a notification and the time: 11:24. Kuroo was probably either asleep or going to sleep and Kenma decided to just make him complete the assignment for him after morning practice. He lost the bet and Kenma was not about to back down.

The notification was from none other than Hinata Shouyou, it read:

"Turns out I'm going out on friday with Kageyama for valentines day !!!

I'm pretty sure Kuroo owes you money now because i was the who asked him out lmao."

Kenma replied with a single "oh hell yeah", both for Hinata's date and for the fact that he managed to make Kuroo lose two bets in the span of three days.

It dawned on him that next friday was valentines day. Kenma didn't really care about it seeing as he wasn't dating anyone and didn't really care about other people's relationships. He usually spent valentines day with Kuroo, but now he recalled how Kuroo told him he had plans for next friday, which meant Kuroo Tetsurou had plans for valentines day.

He felt oddly... betrayed. As if there was a ball of... something... blocking off his throat. He was Kuroo's best friend, he would've told him if he had a date, wouldn't he? Kuroo had never mentioned even liking anyone, and he didn't spend any time with anyone besides Kenma and their small friend group.

He went as far as considering that maybe Kuroo was secretely dating Bokuto, which in turn made him feel bad for Akaashi as well. He discarded the possibility after trying to clear his head, Bokuto was notoriously unable of keeping secrets.

Kenma couldn't process why he suddenly felt so bad about the possibility of his best friend having a partner and couldn't help the twist in his gut when thinking that maybe Kuroo was deliberately hiding it from him.

He finished the biology homework on his own.

**Monday, February 10**

Kenma started observing Kuroo. He couldn't help feeling like a vile person for trying to see what was being hidden from him so well.

He was in time for both of them to leave in the morning. He was at their usual place for lunch. He didn't text anyone Kenma didn't know and he left with him for practice after class.

As practice progressed Kenma started to realize that he wasn't mad at Kuroo. He didn't know why, by all means he should be. But he was just mad in general.

Kenma would set for him and wouldn't fail to notice the smile that came to his own lips as soon as Kuroo looked back at him. In fact, Kenma came to realize that Kuroo looked back at him after every attack, even when neither even touched the ball, hell, Kuroo looked at him even when the attacks failed.

He came to the conclusion that Kuroo looked at him general. He also came to the conclusion that he didn't like playing in a team that didn't have Kuroo in it, and that he felt just a little bit more upset about failing attacks when Kuroo was taking a break.

Kenma didn't want to stop by the convenience store with the rest of their friends after practice, in fact he just went straight home without giving an explanation, rewarding him with worried looks, but no one followed him.

He decided to text Hinata. Then decided not to. He was making a lot of decisions, a lot of assumptions and it felt like his head was going to split in half at any moment.  
Kenma cried.

He didn't know what the sudden burst of emotions he was experiencing meant, or rather he refused to acknowledge it. On the back of his head he knew it wasn't normal to be so upset at Kuroo for keeping a possible relationship secret, he didn't want to admit he wasn't even mad at Kuroo but rather at himself, for refusing to acknowledge that maybe he was just jealous.

He couldn't keep hiding from himself. He let all of the repressed emotions finally resurface, letting out sob after sob as the tears soaked through his pillowcase.

Kenma knew he was in love with Kuroo. He had known all this time. His own pride was the one thing keeping it stacked away in the far dephts of his heart. But there was no use to pretending anymore.

**Tuesday, February 11**

Kenma was ready to rip his own heart out and stomp on it. He was known as the one person who didn't have strong opinions or reactions, who didn't show his emotions. But now it felt as if he was wearing his heart on his sleeve. Every look, every word, swarmed his head with a million thoughts. The world was spinning and it made him feel dizzy.

The worst part of it all was that he wasn't as subtle as he thought. His teammates must have thought he was sick, seeing as the better part of morning practice was spent just sitting down, which in turn was actually ten times worse than being on the court. Kuroo would look at him like he always did and Kenma's insides twisted, he couldn't smile back.

Kuroo would never look at him the way he wanted him to. He was smiling like that to someone else. And the worst part, he didn't want Kenma to know.

It ate him up inside to know he couldn't even mask his frustration, as everyone seemed to suddenly be able to read him.

Kenma called his parents as soon as lunch break began, he looked sick enough for no one to question it when he left before anyone made it back to the classroom in the afternoon.

He knew he couldn't push his luck forever, because as soon as the clock marked 7:30 Kuroo was knocking on his door, sounding worried and making Kenma feel the guilt creeping up his chest.

Kuroo sat on his bed, tried taking his temperature, checking him for injuries. When he couldn't find anything he simply slumped back and looked directly into Kenma's eyes in way that made him feel like crying.

"Kenma what happened." It didn't sound like a question but rather as if he was demanding an answer. He didn't trust his own mouth, knowing that whatever bullshit excuse he managed to spit out, Kuroo would read right through it. So he only closed his eyes and let out the shakiest breath.

Kuroo didn't push, adjusting himself to lean against the wall on Kenma's side and looking forward, he started talking. He told Kenma about pratice, told him he stopped at his classroom to pick up the homework he missed, mentioned a coffee shop Yaku wanted to take them all too. Kenma listened.

He couldn't remember if he ever responded, but at one time Kuroo ruffled his hair and left, saying "There was a change of plans, I'm coming on friday and we can watch that sequel."

**Wednesday, February 12**

Kenma convinced himself that his whole meltdown was over. He couldn't believe he actually left school early and skipped practice over being lovesick, just like he'd been all his life.

He kept going back to Kuroo's words before leaving his room. There was a change of plans. Which meant he wasn't going out on valentines day and had most likely been dumped by whoever he was going out with.

A feeling of disgust creeped on him over being almost relieved. He felt guilty for making it all about himself when Kuroo was probably suffering on his own, so Kenma got ahold of his character and decided to try and comfort Kuroo, as a silent apology, or maybe just to appease his own filthy desires.

As soon as morning practice was over he managed to get Yaku cornered and got the address of that one coffee shop Kuroo had mentioned the previous night. The other didn't question, but gave him a confused look nonetheless.

Kuroo's confused expression soon turned to one of delight as soon as Kenma strayed from their usual path, leading into a backstreet and into the nearly empty coffee shop, located exactly where Yaku had given him directions to.

Kuroo didn't look sad. In fact he didn't look, sound or act different from any regular day which made it difficult for Kenma to try and make him feel better, especially about something he wasn't even supposed to know about as far as he was aware.

He did look happy. Smiling to Kenma with his mouth covered in white cream that he'd mentioned looked like Zelda as soon as his cappuccino arrived, to which Kenma replied by saying that his muffing resembled Kuroo's own chubby tabby cat, Bastard. He laughed and Kenma's heart skipped a beat in a completely foreign way, now that the cat was out of the bag he seemed to be feeling a lot of new things.

He wanted to kiss all the cream out of Kuroo's face, but chose to wipe it off with a napkin and call him an idiot, which felt weirdly intimate for some reason.  
Kuroo linked their arms together when walking back home and Kenma felt his cheeks heating up against his will, but of course he could blame both on the cold wind and snow yet to melt.

Is there something like a 'one sided date'? Because that was what Kenma was sure had just happened. It felt kind of bittersweet, on one hand he had an amazing 'semi-date' with his favorite person, but on the other hand Kuroo didn't look at it like that. Not even the text he received at around 11 reading "Kageyama kissed me for the first time I think I might die." was able to make him feel better, in fact it made him feel jealous and dirty.

**Thursday, February 13**

Bastard was fat. Kenma recalled the very day Kuroo got his cat, eight years ago. He had never been a friendly pet, hence the name choice. Bastard didn't like being picked up, liked to eat plastic wrappers and was too fat to jump up to Kuroo's bed without help. He was also very prone to scratch whoever tried to pet him. Oddly enough, Bastard always laid down on Yaku's lap whenever he came over, and even let the libero scratch behind his ears, which annoyed Kuroo to no end, especially since he seemed to be the only person Yaku's own cat didn't like.

A week after his dad brought over Bastard Kuroo convinced him to go back to the shelter and choose a cat for himself, to which eight year old Kenma happily complied. He remembered immediately being drawn to the quiet white kitty laying down on the back of one of the cages. The shelter worker described her as very shy. Kuroo made fun of him for naming his cat after Princess Zelda, but admitted it was fitting. Zelda was small and liked to cuddle, the exact opposite of Bastard.

Kenma blinked, losing the unspoken staring competition being held with Bastard on top of Kuroo's bed while the other was showering. They had both gone to Kuroo's house after practice, discussing strategies and sometimes even gossiping about their teammates, but now it was past midnight and Kenma wasn't about to go home in the dark, or that was what he told himself, knowing full well he lived just next door.

This time around Kenma found himself on the edge of the bed, staring in the direction opposite to Kuroo, who had his forehead touching Kenma's back. For the first time it felt weird. It felt as if he was taking advantage of Kuroo, even though in the back of his head he knew this was just the same as always.

Getting up to open the door to a meowing Bastard, Kenma looked back at Kuroo's sleeping form and couldn't help but think that soon enough he'd be sleeping next to someone else.

**Friday, February 14**

Kenma spent the day on the verge of throwing up. He couldn't bear watching girls walk back into the classroom with flowers and people confessing in the hallways. He watched as countless people slipped notes into shoe lockers and considered commiting arson when he could hear people making out in the bathroom stall next to his.

The whole team went quiet when he finally snapped during practice, yelling at Yamamoto to shut up about not having a girlfriend. Kuroo doubled over laughing.

As promised Kuroo went home along with him like every other friday. Kenma's heart sank when he spotted the red card on Kuroo's hand.

"Did you get a valentines day card?"

"It was in my shoe locker." Kenma didn't respond, so he continued "It's from Yaku, it says 'Fuck you' in cursive."

He couldn't but chuckle at how petty their libero could be.

"Take a look a Yaku's snapchat story."

Doing as asked he could see Yaku sitting on a couch and throwing a peace sign. "what's wrong with it?"

"Kenma that's Lev's cat. Bet they're on a date."

He rolled his eyes, only Kuroo would be able to come to that conclusion from the grey paw barely visible on the frame. He was probably right nonetheless, seeing as Lev was the only one out of their friend group who owned a grey cat, who in turn did not possibly resemble Yaku's orange tabby.

Kenma tried analyzing Kuroo's face for any trace of... anything really. He mentioned Lev and Yaku's "date" so he assumed Kuroo might have been a bit upset considering what happened to his own, but he sounded absolutely normal. Kenma couldn't help feeling a bit wounded that he was apparently hiding it so well.

"I'm sorry your date got cancelled." He breathed out.

"My what now?"

"You mentioned being busy on valentines day."

"Yeah my uncle was coming to visit, but my cousin caught a cold so they cancelled- Did you seriously assume i had a date and was hiding it from you?"

Kenma didn't reply, looking away from Kuroo's gaze and picking at the hem of his shirt. He couldn't believe he spent a week agonizingly drowning in his own emotions when his assumption was way off. He spent a week being unknowingly jealous of Kuroo's uncle.

"Kenma. Did you get that upset because you thought I was dating someone?"

Once again he couldn't answer, looking at his own lap with such intensity he was sure to dig some holes on his thighs from the force of it. He could feel his cheeks warming up.  
"If it makes you feel better the person I like doesn't know about it yet."

It absolutely did not make him feel better, making his heart drop to his stomach. he felt tears prickling at his eyes.

All of a sudden he could feel a warm hand on his cheek, forcing him to look up. Kuroo looked at his face with the same intensity he looked to his lap a few minutes prior, making him feel like melting on the spot.

Kuroo got closer to him, until their noses were barely one inch apart. Kenma forgot how to breathe.

"Can I kiss you?"

He was pretty sure his expression said everything, because Kuroo soon connected their lips in a short kiss, letting go all too soon.

Kenma lightly touched his own lips, looking up at Kuroo with wide eyes. He just gave a shy smile, leaning back in and whispering "He knows now."

He didn't waste any time in grabbing Kuroo by his cheeks and planting his lips back on the other's, who in turn held the back of his head, angling it in order to deepen the kiss.

**Saturday, February 15**

Waking up in a completely foreign mess of limbs and pillows, Kenma could feel his face resting on Kuroo's chest, an arm thrown across his waist and his chin resting on top of his head. He was pretty sure the weight on his legs was Zelda, not yet used to their position.

A faint vibrating sound brought his attention to the phone oh his nightstand, picking it up revealed a text from Hinata. A picture of Kageyama laying down on what appeared to be his chest and was that a dog?

Kuroo moved causing Zelda to let out a quiet 'mmrrrh' sound and nuzzle deeper into their tangled legs.

"What're you doing?" Kuroo asked, barely opening his eyes.

"You owe me money."

"What."

Kenma showed him the picture, receiving a glare in response before having his phone taken from his hand and put back on top of the nightstand. Kuroo changed their positions, laying on top of Kenma and immediately passing out again.


End file.
